Underdrive for traveling cranes, monorails, and the like



April 27, 1943@v A. L. MEDENWALD UNDER'DRIVE FOR TRAVELING CRANES,MONORAILS AND THELLIKE l Filed April 21, 194

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ap 27, 1943. A. L. MEDENWALD LIKE UNDER-DRIVE FORTRAVELING CRANES, MONORAILS AND THE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 21,1941 Patented Apr. 27, 1943 UNITED sre'res P Nr orrics UNDERDR-IVE FORTRAVELING CRANES, MGNORALS, AND THE LIKE.

Los Angeles, Calif.

Application April 21, 1341, Serial N0. 389,582

2 Claims. (Qi. 10E- 153) This invention relates to an under-drivemechanism for traveling cranes and monorails, and more particularly toan under-drive mechanism in which the load determines the frictionalcontact, or traction, of the drive wheel with the rail or track.

While the invention is shown in the accompanying two sheets of drawingsas applied to the underslung type of traveling crane and monorail, it isapplicable to other types of moving cranes, load carriers and the like,where there is a moving load-carrying apparatus adapted to `be moved bythe frictional or traction engagement of a driving wheel with the trackor rail upon which-it moves.

One of the salient objects of the invention is to provide in such anapparatus a lever mechanism interposed between the load-carrier and vthedriving wheel which engages the track or rail, which lever mechanism isso connected and arranged that the load automatically determines thefrictional engagement or traction of said driving wheel with the rail.

In order to explain the invention, I have shown on the accompanying twosheets of drawings, two `practical .embodiments thereof, which I willnow describe:

Figure 1 is a side .elevation of a track, with a crane structuresuspended thereunder, and a load-carrier mechanism suspended under saidcrane, to travel transversely of the crane movement, looking at theright hand side of Fig. 2;

Figure 2 is a View thereof looking at the left hand side of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a monorail type of load-carrier,embodying the invention;

Figure 4 is an end View thereof from the right hand end of Fig. 3; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view from the left hand yend of Fig. 3. L

Referring now to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, spaced rails or tracks 6,6, are shown, which would be supported overhead in the building or placeof use, and on these rails or tracks are four pairs of carrier wheels,said four pairs being designated l, 8, 9 and I9, respectively; therebeing four pairs on each rail or track, the wheels of each pair beingconnected with a yoke, designated II in all places, said yokes loopingunder the rail or track, as seen in Fig. 2, and forming the supportingmeans from said carrying wheels.

Extended through the yokes ii, from the carrying wheels l, at each sideof the crane structure is a lever, as I2, the ends of which levers I2are pivotally connected with a pair of supporting members, as I3, I3,which are, in turn, at their lower ends, secured to a pair of channelmembers, as I9, I4, the opposite ends of which are supported in asimilar manner from theV loop II, from wheel 8, as by members I3.Secured to said channel members I4, I4, are two supporting straps, ormembers, as I5 and I6, which are secured tothe end` and top,respectively, of an I-beam I1, extending from one side to the other ofsaid structure, as seen in Fig. 2.

Welded to said I-beam il, at their ends, are four transverse I-beams I8,i8 and I9, I9, seen in light broken lines in Fig. 2. The I-beams I8, I8,at the opposite ends are longer, as seen in' Fig. 1, whiley the I-beamsI9, I9, in the middle, are shorter. In Fig. 1, I-beam I8 is broken outin the middle to expose the end of I-beam I9, only one being seenbecause the other one iis directly behind the exposed one.

The ends of said short I-beams i9, I9, are welded on top of anunderlying I-beam or track member 2, while the free ends of the long I-beams I 3, I8, are held by supporting straps or members, as 2|, theupper ends vof which are' pivotally connected with a bar or member 22,the opposite ends of which are supported in the yokes II, II, from thecarrying wheels 9 and III, as seen in Fig. 1. Said I-beams I8, I8, arealso welded or otherwise secured in their middle portions to the top ofthe transversev I- beam or track member 29.

Mounted on top of said short I-beams I9, "I9, is a plate or platform 23,on whichis mounted a motor M, a gear box 24, of reduction gearsy of anyknown type, from which rgear box extends --a drive shaft 25. The motorshaft is designated 26 for driving said gears in a well known manne-r.The drive shaft 25,`from the reductiongearsf, is provided with a gear2l, which meshes'with a gear 28, on a shaft 28. Said gears and theirshafts are supported on suitable brackets', "as 29, and 29', onlybrackets 29 being seen in Fig 2, and bracket 29 being seen in Fig.

Mounted on the shaft 26, at its opposite ends, are the friction ortraction drive wheels 3| and 32, seen in Fig. 2, wheel 3i being brokenaway in Fig. 1, to expose wheel 32 at the opposite side and also thegear 2, on the same shaft 28.

Said shaft 28 is also connected with the end of the lever I2, at eachside of the structure, for a purpose hereinafter referred to. Y

Moving upon thev I-beam or trackbeam 29, are two pairs of wheels 33, 33,and 34, 34, having yokes 95, thereunder, said yokes 35, 35',

an eye or supporting member 31, to which is hooked or supported theusual or any type of hoisting mechanism, designated as a whole I-I.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the Weight to be lifted by thehoisting mechanism H, is transmitted through the connections to thecarrying wheels 9 and I0, at one end of the I-beams I8, I8, and at theother ends of said beams, to carrying wheels 1 and 8; that said weightis, through the levers I2, I2, and their connections, also transmittedto the friction or traction drive Wheels 3| and 32, which bear up underthe tracks or rails 6, 6, at opposite sides of the crane structure. Itwill also be seen that the amount of the weight, determines the pressureor traction applied through the drive wheels 3l and 32 to said tracks orrails.

In case there is no weight, other than the weight vof theapparatusitself, in order to balance the normal weight of the apparatus in itsunloaded condition, I have provided an auxiliary balancing weightmechanism operating through suitable connections on said drive Wheels,which I will now describe.

Connected under the bearing end of the lever I2, under the shaft 28',extended through said lever, is a lever and link mechanism, designated38, pivotally supported at 39, with a weight 40, adjustably mountedthereon, whereby to exert an upward pressure on the end of said leverI2, and the shaft 28 therein, and on the drive wheels 3| and 32. Thisauxiliary :balancing weight is used to overcome the balanced conditionof the mechanism in an unloaded condition and to cause sufficienttraction on the drive wheels to move said unloaded apparatus. It will beunderstood, of course, that the movement here required is very slight,just suicient to increase the bearing friction or traction enough tomove the strueture when moved without any load.

Referring now to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, I have shown myinvention as applied to a monorail load-carrier, with an underslungcarriage and drive wheel operating on the underside of the rail or trackmember, with means inter- .posed between the load, and said drive wheel,whereby the weight of the load operates to determine the friction ortraction of the drive wheel on the rail or track.

In the drawings, a monorail or track member is shown, designated 4I,which may be supported in any suitable and practical manner fortransporting a load from one place to another. Mounted to run on saidmonorail, or track member, 4I, are two pairs of track wheels, 42 and 43,each pair of -Wheels having a yoke, as 44, for-ming bearings for saidwheels and looping down under said monorail, as indicated.

Supported in said yokes 44, is a connecting and supporting member 45,from the middle of which depends a supporting member 46, and in which ispivotally supported at 46 a pair of spaced bars, 41, 41, between whichspaced -bars vare secured spaced depending members 48, 48, with a pin 49therethrough, said pin being adapted to receive a hook 50, of a hoistingmechanism, designated as a whole 5I. Said load hoist can be of anydesired type.

At one end of said spaced bars 41, 41, there are connected two spacedmembers 52, 52, with bolts 53, said members 52, 52, forming extensionarms to receive therebetween a drive wheel 54,

adapted to frictionally engage the underside of said monorail, or track,as seen in said drawings. On the same shaft with said drive wheel is achain wheel 55, with chain, for operating said drive wheel by hand, ifand when desired to so operate it for the purpose of moving said loadcarrying mechanism through the operation of said drive wheel on theunderside of the monorail, as when loaded.

It will be understood, of course, that any suitable power means can beused to drive said drive Wheel. At the other ends of said spaced members41, 41, and between said members, it adjustably held a weight 56,adapted to be held in adjusted position by a set screw 51. This weightis provided to hold the drive wheel 54 up under the monorail 4I,sufficiently to give the necessary friction or traction when there is noload on the hoist mechanism 5I.

It will be noted that the pivotal support 46 and the load connection onthe pin 49, are close together and that the load operates to force thedrive wheel 54 up against the underside of the monorail 4I, and that theheavier the load the greater the friction or traction engagement of saiddrive wheel with the monorail.

These drive wheels may be of any suitable material to give the bestfriction or traction effect, and are preferably of suitable rubbermaterial.

Thus in both embodiments of my invention, Whether of a crane structure,or of the monorail type, the weight or load is so connected that itoperates, automatically to regulate the friction or traction of thedrive wheels With the rail or track, which is in the main object of myinvention.

I am aware that changes can be made in the details of the constructionand arrangement of my invention as here shown and described, withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof, and I do not, therefore, limit theinvention to the showing as made and described, except as I may belimited by the hereto appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a load carrying apparatus to run on a track, ofa horizontal load supporting lever pivotally suspended intermediate itsends from said apparatus under said track, a traction wheel carried atone end of said lever and engaging the underside of said track, means atthe other end of said load supporting lever for supporting a load to becarried, whereby increased load increases the traction of said tractionwheel, and means for driving said traction wheel to move said apparatuson said track.

2. In an apparatus of the character referred to, a track rail, aload-carrier having Wheels to run on said track rail withload-supporting means suspended from said wheels under said track rail,said means including a horizontal load-supporting lever pivotallysuspended from said apparatus, intermediate its ends, a traction wheelcarried at one end of said lever and engaging the underside of saidtrack rail for mov- -ing said load-carrier, power means for turning

